Queen’s Platinum Fund distributed more than double the £70k originally intended

On November 16, 2021, the council’s Executive Committee agreed to establish a fund which invited applications from non-profit voluntary and community groups, schools and churches, to help stage celebratory events to mark the late monarch’s 70-year reign.

The fund opened on January 5 last year and proved hugely popular within the community with demand far outstripping the original £70k outlay.

Due to its popularity the funding pot was therefore increased to £164,000 – £94k more than originally planned.

The extra funding was agreed by senior council officers and was sourced from local authority under-spends.

News of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee additional spend comes after a royal funding row in the Borders.

Last week at a meeting of Scottish Borders Council members voted 15 to 18 in favour of a £50,000 fund to support community councils to stage celebration events to mark the Coronation of King Charles III.

But the move was labelled ‘tone deaf’ by some who deemed it inappropriate spending at a time when many are struggling through the cost of living crisis.

The latest revelation came in a question submitted at the same full council meeting from Elaine Thornton-Nicol, the leader of the SNP opposition group on Scottish Borders Council, to Councillor Mark Rowley, the local authority’s executive member for Service Delivery and Transformation.

Mr Rowley said: “There was significant interest and a high level of demand from our communities for the fund, so the initial fund was over-subscribed resulting in a total amount awarded of £164,091 – that went to 114 different community group across the Borders.”

The decision to increase the funding pot was taken by the council’s director of Resilient Communities and the director of Finance and Corporate Governance, and was endorsed by the council’s Executive Committee.

In the funding pot for the coronation, agreed last week, community councils will now be able to apply for up to £500 for celebratory events on the weekend of May 6-8.

The SNP's Fay Sinclair had tabled an amendment to scrap the fund and instead divert cash to local foodbanks, saying the celebratory fund was “tone-deaf” in times of austerity.

The administration put in a last-minute amendment of its own, which reduced the proposed fund from £50,000 to £34,500, with the money now coming from the Covid Recovery Fund instead of council reserves.

Ms Sinclair said: “I’m really disappointed that the Tories pushed their taxpayer-funded party pot through by 18 votes to 15.

“I called on them to scrap this tone-deaf Coronation party fund and get back to what the public expect us to be focused on, delivering the local services on which we all depend.

“We’ve seen a really strong reaction from the public on this, with hundreds of people getting in touch to oppose the party fund. They are absolutely aghast at this misuse of public money.”

Council leader Euan Jardine said: “To enable the funding for community councils, we are utilising the Scottish Government Covid-19 recovery grant.

"I am sure we all remember how dark the days of Covid were and how much we lost out on opportunities to celebrate events, spend time with our families and friends, and come together in the community.

"That is why we are keen to help community councils deliver for their communities and bring some escapism for people, even if only for a day.”

Councillors also agreed to grant a holiday for staff on Monday, May 8.